Presidential Primaries: Christie Heading To NH For Romney [VIDEO]

Gov. Chris Christie will head to New Hampshire this weekend to campaign for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The Romney campaign says Christie will appear at a “grassroots rally” Sunday night in Exeter. It’s one of several events Romney has planned with high-profile Republicans in New Hampshire this weekend, ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

The trip marks the third time Christie has traveled to campaign on Romney’s behalf. He went to Iowa twice last month for fundraisers and to meet with voters.

Christie endorsed the former Massachusetts governor in October shortly after deciding that he didn’t want to run for the White House himself in 2012.

• NJ Decides: Presidential Election 2012
• Iowa Caucus

ROMNEY KEEPS FOCUS ON OBAMA

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is keeping his focus on President Barack Obama as he works South Carolina, leaving the Republican intraparty attacks to his new public ally, Sen. John McCain.

Romney continued his criticism of Obama’s handling of the economy, even as unemployment dropped in December by its largest percentage nationally in four years. Romney also criticized Obama’s plan to shrink the military and focus more on Asia. Romney called it “inexcusable” and said the policy must be reversed.

McCain won the South Carolina primary four years ago. He’s been a crusader against spending, and on Friday the Arizonan criticized Rick Santorum, his former Senate colleague, for supporting earmarks. McCain told an audience of more than 300 in Conway, S.C.: “Earmarks are the gateway to corruption.”

Huntsman objects to ad featuring adopted kids

Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman says Rep. Ron Paul’s supporters are out of line with a web ad that uses images of Huntsman’s adopted daughters to argue that he doesn’t hold American values.

The ad, posted by “NHLiberty4Paul” includes images of Huntsman with his adopted daughters from China and India and calls him “the Manchurian candidate.” In Concord Friday, Huntsman called the ad “stupid” and said he objects to suggesting that there is something sinister in his decision to adopt.

Paul’s New Hampshire spokeswoman says she doesn’t know who posted the ad. She called it utterly distasteful and says no one who really supports Paul’s principles would have made it.

Gingrich: Conservative Romney rival will emerge

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he’s confident GOP conservatives will “gradually coalesce” around a candidate who can deny the party’s nomination to Mitt Romney.

Gingrich calls himself “a Reagan conservative” and says that’s the kind of nominee the GOP needs to defeat President Barack Obama. The Georgia Republican says Romney has got to show that he can “get a majority somewhere.” Romney won about 25 percent of the vote in Iowa.

Gingrich also tells ABC’s “Good Morning America” that “one of us will eventually emerge as the conservative alternative and will beat Romney.”

He didn’t name names, but Gingrich apparently was talking about himself, former Sen. Rick Santorum and Gov. Rick Perry. Gingrich has attacked Texas Congressman Ron Paul for his views on foreign policy and national security.

SANTORUM SHRUGS OFF POSSIBLE VOTE MISCOUNT IN IOWA

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is shrugging off reports that the vote count from Iowa’scaucuses might be wrong, saying the errors appear not to change the fact that he and Mitt Romney were nearly tied.

Santorum tells Fox News that a party official says the two cases in which errors were reported in the count from Tuesday night nearly cancel each other out.

A Ron Paul supporter told Des Moines TV station KCCI that the posted count from his precinct in Appanoose County gave Romney more votes than he actually received.

The GOP chairman in Iowa, Matt Strawn, says in a statement that state party officials don’t have any reason to believe the final results from Appanoose County will change the outcome of Tuesday’s vote.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)